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The North
The North is a short story that chronicles the quest of Jon Snow into the lands of Frostfang under the command of Catherine Lovie. The North details much of the lands north of Harrenhall, and also explores the end of Sigmar through the further understanding of what happened to him at the end of his life as well as some of the darker elements of Europe that have been buried by the Numenorians in their earlier attempts to protect the continent. The North begins chronologically during Chapter Eight of End of Darkness as Jon Snow first mentions how following the War with Gondor he is commanded to head northward to deal with a problem. The North can be read or not read, but it gives a great deal of backstory as to why Jon Snow feels so deeply troubled during the story, and why during Westros he forgoes his chance at being true born, and takes men northward. First beggining when Jon Snow is barely fifteen the story takes a large gap and happens again when he is years older and deciding to return to the lands of the north, but mostly wanting to see Ygritte again. Jon Snow is absolutely the only POV character, but the other main characters that prop up within the story are Sam Tarly, Ygritte, members of both the Nights Watch, and the Clan Styr that they encounter on the way. The romance between Jon Snow and Ygritte is also a major element within the story. The North begins with Jon Snow being ordered to move northward to the lands of Stor under great secrecy and with only a few Lucernians able to go with them. After arriving there they deal with many consequences of the situation in the Frostfangs including discovering the existence of a centuries long gaurd against a hidden race in the Frostfangs. POV Characters Plot Summary Chapter 1 Jon Snow Chapter Details Jon Snow is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter he is sitting with his brother Brann, and Robb when his father Eddard comes into the room. Eddard Starke would go to find his son following him reading the letter, and he found him spending time with his two other sons Brann, and Robb and it killed him to have to send him on what would most likely be his dying mission. He would send Brann away but Robb accompanied him and Jon into the hall where Brandon, and Benjen Starke waited alongside many other nobles of House Starke to plan the mission sent forth by Catherine Lovie. During the meeting it was made clear that the little information they had been given left them nearly completely in the dark but they obviously couldn't get more without risking making Bill Lovie aware of the fact that Catherine Lovie was no longer in his corner. Eddard Starke gave Jon command of the forces he had used during the Gondor War, and let him know that he could take whatever other men he needed but he had to travel with a relatively small force. Jon would gather together a few extra men that he had come to know, and then after saying goodbye to his family he would travel northward to the Riverlands to take a boat to Storhold which was the port closest to Frostfang. The trip to Storhold was completely uneventful but their arrival their was greeted by two men clothed in the armor of House Highmore, and one in the colors of House Martell or whom without saying a word passed a note to Jon Snow that said to meet them east of the town in the town of Stor. The town of Stor was the capital of the Kingdom of Stor, and thus was heavily populated by the Storr. Jon would follow the notes command and travelled east to Stor where two days from the town they were greeted at their camp by the two men of House Lovie. The men introduced themselves as Harven Moore, Hedrin Tolhmave II., Cotter Highmore, and Domeric Highmore of whom had been sent to Storhold to make Jon Snow more aware of the mission they were sent north to accomplish. This group also had several men at arms with them with the Highmores bringing five men, the Moore's two, and the Tolhmaves brining three. Cotter Highmore told them that northward of them was the land of Frostfang which they knew but they didn't know that the land held a massive wall which was controlled by a group called the Thenn, and for centuries the Thenn had placed a toll on those wanting to travel south, and north but they had never chosen a side. He explained that things were changing and the Thenn were engaged in a massive civil conflict pitting the forces of Styr Thenn of whom wanted to side silently with Arnor but continue making the road neutral against the forces of Magmar Thenn who wanted to side with The Empire and allow them free reign into Westros. Jon Snow and the rest of his force wanted to know how they had come by this information and Cotter Highmore said that it had come from players inside the goverment of the Thenn who wanted to end the conflict that was destroying Thenn from the inside. Travelling through the lands of the Storr was uneventfull until they arrived at the Long Lake where they were blocked on the road by a group of soldiers clothed in Black Robes. The soldiers said that they were men of the Nights Watch and that they were being lied to about what was happening on the other side of the Wall. When asked what was actually happening the men were evasive but said that they would only allow the Lucernians to enter if they wore the cloth of the Nights Watch and promised that whatever happened inside they would not bring the Thenn southward. Being surrounded by these dangerous men made him quickly agree to their proposal and thus the entire part would don the robes, and markings of the Nights Watch while still maintaining their own house colors. Now escorted by the Nights Watcht they entered what the Nights Watch called the Gift. The gift they said was land given to the NIghts Watch by the King of ancient Stor so that they could provide for their mission protecting the Storr against the dangers of the North. As they entered Castle Black they were met by the Nights Watch Commander in the form of Joer Mormont of whom told them more about the inner workings of the Night's watch but continued to be evasive about what the great danger north of the wall actually was. During this explanation Jeor briefly left leaving Jon, Tucker, and Samwell alone with nights watchmen in the form of Bowen Barsh, and Denys Bucknet of which Bowen explains he was a noble of Storr but as the third son he chose the honor of the Nights Watch to inheriting nothing from his family, while Denys Bucknet explains he was the fourth son of his noble family in Lombard to the east and joined for similar reasons. Jeor returns and tells Jon that he was going to accompany him north with a small Night's Watch force accompanied as well by several knights from Storr as he understood that the mission Jon was on had a greater consequence then anything in the entire world. At this kind of statement Jon once again attempted to force Jeor to explain himself but all he said was that their were dangers in the cold of the north that noone should ever have to be afraid of. Characters Introduced= *Robb Starke *Brann Starke |-|Places Introduced= *Frostfang |-|Groups Introduced= *Nights Watch Chapter 2 Ygritte is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter she is walking through the gates of Styrten following a dozen men when she is stopped by a shout and turning she sees it is her younger brother Darrik Styr of whom runs into her arms causing laughter from the men around her, and smacking him for being childish she leaves with saying she loves him as he had demanded. Traveling into the mountains she thinks on how she is traveling to a camp that she and her sister run where they capture Mountain Bulls that the Styr use as mounts and beasts of burden, and while she realizes that she is good at this she longs to gain vengeance against the killer of her brother a man named Hranald Magmar. Characters Introduced= *Darrik Styr *Grewa Styr *Rogor *Hrorald Urtyr |-|Places Introduced= *Styrten |-|Groups Introduced= *Clan Styr Chapter 3 Mance Rayder is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter he wakes up and finds his arm is bleeding quite badly and his leg is caught under a large amount of snow, and coming to believe he will die he thinks on his childhood and how he got to this point in his life. Waking up Mance finds himself lying on a bed in a tent with a women fussing over his wound, and alarmed at first he tries to get up but she pushes him back down and tells him he has nothing to fear, and calming down the two talk for a time with mance learning her name is Dalla and she and her family live in a small village south of the town of Skilving and are sworn to Clan Nightrunner. Spending several days with Dalla he comes to have feelings for her but the arrival of Vigodr Nightrunner a high ranking member of Clan Nightrunner leads to a return to normalcy when Vigodr tells him that the Nights Watch is looking for him, and Vigodr seeing how close mance is with Dalla tells him that he can join them if he wants, but despite being tempted Mance says he must return as he swore oaths. Spending the last night with the family of dalla he is woken in the night by Dalla and without a word the two sleep together realizing this is probably there last night together and after this they fall asleep together. Waking up in the morning Mance finds Dalla waiting at the tent entrance and she has his cloak with her and has repaired the damage but he notices the red that she had used to repair it and thinks it may be an issue but seeing the look of happiness in her eyes he takes it with him, and goes with Vigodr who is to take him back to Shadow Tower where during the ride back Vigodr tells him that his relationship with Dalla means that he will always have a place with the Nightrunner Clan. Arriving back at Shadow Tower it is Characters Introduced= *Dalla Rayder |-|Places Introduced= *Southern Frostfang Wall *Shadow Tower |-|Groups Introduced= Chapter 4 Jon Snow Chapter Details Jon Snow is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter he the group would rest for a few days while the Nights Watch prepared there force to accompany the Lucernians, as well as awaited the arrival of the knights of Storr and whatever forces they sent. During this time Jon Snow came to understand that Jeor Mormont was once a great noble of the Kingdom of Lucerne born of Bear Island but had traveled north as punishment for the failure of his son. When the force traveled north through they headed towards the lands of Craster which from the power Jeor described this man having he assumed was a tiny little kingdom. When they arrived he discovered that it was nothing more then a wooden hovel controlled by an old man named Craster. The plan is to stay at Craster's keep for a day until it is more calm weather so that they can travel to the town of Hardhome where they would meet with the Thenn leadership. Jeor Mormont commands his men to leave Craster’s wives alone, and then enters the wildling’s hall with his senior men. It is rumored that Craster’s mother lay with a ranger, and that is why the wildling is courteous to the Night's Watch. Craster claims he has not seen any of the rangers that Jeor had send north in three years, but he remembers Waymar Royce and his party. When the Old Bear mentions the wights that attacked him at Castle Black, Craster feigns ignorance, but one of his wives recognizes the truth in the tale by the look of horror on her face. Craster tells Mormont that he is a free man, and hence has not heeded Mance Rayder’s call, although all the other wildling settlements have. To learn more, Mormont gives Craster a new axe and some good wine in exchange for information on the whereabouts of Mance’s host. Craster recognizes Jon as a Stark, and learns he is Eddard Stark’s bastard. During their time there Jon's friend Sam would fall in love with a young Thenn girl of whom begin to unravel some of the mystery of the land for them when she told them that the Thenn were fleeing the lands they had always lived and were travelling to the capital and other hiding places to escape the White Walkers. The girl refused to tell him more about these supposed White Walkers but she told him that they should leave Frostfang as soon as possible as this land was lost to men. Their peaceful rest in Craster's Keep would come to an end as they begin to discover that this Craster took his daughters as his wives and interbred with them a thought that proved discusting for the Lucernians. Jon goes in search of Sam so that the fat boy can draw a map, and finds Ghost has taken a rabbit from one of Craster’s wives. Jon apologizes to the girl, whom he notices is pregnant. The girl runs off when Lark the Sisterman warns her that Ghost might eat her. Jon finds Sam and tells him to attend the Old Bear. The next morning he is awoken by the girl he had met the day before. Sam had told her Jon’s father is a king, and she pleads with Jon to take her and her unborn child to the king. She fears for the child’s life, and Jon learns that if it’s a boy, Craster will give it to the gods. When Jon asks what gods, Gilly elaborates 'the cold gods, the white shadows', and Jon knows that Craster lied about not being aware of the Others and wights. Craster has been giving them sheep now since the Others come more often. Jon tells her he can’t help her and she runs off. Jon later confronts Sam, who tells him he thought they could help the girl when they returned from the north, but Jon tells him he was a fool. As they depart, Jon mentions to Mormont that Craster has no sons, but Mormont was aware that Craster offers them to the Others as a type of prayer. The rangers have known this for a long time, but the Watch has found Craster to be helpful over the years, and Mormont would not harm the wildling. Mormont reveals that Mance Rayder is gathering the wildlings in the Frostfangs, and that he plans to stop the man he once knew. The next day the Rangers would leave Craster's Keep and head north to their final stop before they would make the last march to the forces of Styr Thenn. When Jon and Sam once again push Mormont to tell them about the White Walkers they are once again told that this is beyond something they should know about yet, but he promices to tell them more once they arrive at the Fist of the First Men. Cotter, and Domeric Highmore while this were going on would discover a small map which detailed numerous x's in the mountains of which were called demon prisons, and the two would silently take the map and continue on their way with the rest. Lord Commander Mormont's men, and the Lucernians arrive at the Fist of the First Men, an ancient ringfort of the First Men during the Dawn Age, an old place that is strong with magic. It is also extremely defensible due to its position, Mormont decides they will camp there to await for Qhorin Halfhand's and his men from the Shadow Tower and later he decides to wait at the Fist for the wildlings to emerge, as the only path they can take is down the Milkwater and past the Fist. Jon and the rest rides in but Ghost will not enter the fortified area of the Fist, despite Jon’s efforts. That night however, Ghost awakens Jon and beckons him to follow. The direwolf leads him to what appears a grave under the shadow of the Fist, but as Jon digs, he realizes that there is something buried there. Inside, he finds several daggers and arrowheads made of dragonglass, and an ancient warhorn. The cache appeared to be buried relatively recently, and it was wrapped in the cloak of a sworn brother of the Night's Watch. Jon hears the call of a warhorn, one blast to signify brothers returning. Qhorin Halfhand has arrived, with 100 men from the Shadow Tower. Qhorin recognizes Jon, and tells him that he knew many Starkes in his own way. When Jon attempts to find out how he could know of Starkes he is told that he once visited Bolten on a trading mission and met the leader of House Karstark. The men from the Shadow Tower were delayed because they met Alfyn Crowkiller and his men who had been scouting along the Wall but had been attacked by the men of Magmar. They killed the wildling leader, but lost four men in the process. Later, Jon overhears dissent in the ranks as Chett and Lark the Sisterman speak of not going into the Frostfangs, no matter what the Old Bear orders. Jon had given the warhorn he had found to Sam, because it was cracked and he could get no sound from it, but Sam liked ancient items. Jon walks in and overhears Qhorin telling Mormont about a captive claiming that Magmar's forces had wargs and mammoths in his army. He also explains that the captive claims the wildlings plan to breach the Wall, not climb it or burrow beneath it. Qhorin tells them that Magmar is seeking something in the high, cold places of the Frostfangs, some power or artifact. Qhorin advises the Old Bear to send scouts into the mountains, and Mormont agrees. Jarmen Buckwell will take four men to climb the Giant's Stair, Thoren Smallwood will lead a party to probe the Milkwater, while Qhorin himself will lead a third party into the Skirling Pass. Qhorin immediately chooses Jon Snow as one of his five men, stating the following, Characters Introduced= *Craster *Gilly |-|Places Introduced= *Craster's Keep |-|Groups Introduced= Chapter 5 Ygritte is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter she arrives at Magmantar where she plans to instigate a fight with her nemesis Hranald Magmar, and arriving at the gates she is met by a group of Magmar men of whom tell her she is not welcome and to leave almost causing a fight between them and the men with Ygritte but this is difused by the arrival of Krilla Magmar of whom is the wife of Hranald and of whom shows herself as a formidable warrior when stands up to Ygritte. Realizing that Hranald is not at Magmantar she prepares to leave with her men, but is stopped by Krilla who demands a fight to the death in order to attempt to stop Ygritte from eventually killing her beloved Hranald, and despite not wanting to fight her she relents after Krilla embarreses her verbally. The two engage in a brutal fight where both almost win several times but eventually Krilla tires and misses a swing and is decaptiated by Ygritte causing an uproar among the magmar men but they are forced to allow Ygritte to leave due to the stakes of the duel. Chapter 6 Mance Rayder is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter he Chapter 7 Jon Snow is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter he Chapter 8 Ygritte is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter she Chapter 9 Mance Rayder is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter he Chapter 10 Jon Snow is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter he Chapter 11 Ygritte is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter she Chapter 12 Mance Rayder is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter he Chapter 13 Jon Snow is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter he Chapter 14 Ygritte is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter as Ygritte walks in the mountain foothills an unnatural snow storm separates her from her hunting party and driven forward by whispering in her head she comes on a cave entrance which she has never seen before despite having traveled the area for months. Entering the cave she finds a door and continuing to follow the whispers she goes inside and when the door locks behind her she enters a room and then it shakes and she is taken upwards horrified, but after several minutes it stops and the door opens revealing a women on the other side standing there staring out giant windows, but when she takes a step inside the women turns revealing herself to be Vera Stonesnake. Chapter 15 Mance Rayder is the POV Character of this chapter and during this chapter he Category:Story